Fribourg International Film Festival reveals the sections that will bring its 33rd edition to life, marked by global issues including identity, exile, and everyday racism. In the East, writer Elisa Shua Dusapin and director Bong Joon-ho will bring a refreshing new approach to South Korean cinema; in the West, the fight of Afro-descendant actresses against discriminations that they face in the film industry. In parallel to these strong themes, the New Territory section explores the unexpected dynamism of Caribbean cinema. Under the banner of Genre Cinema, romantic comedies will be honoured – a universal genre that unites the audience as much as it divides critics. The FIFF will open and close with two of these rom-coms: the Chinese fantasy comedy How Long Will I Love U on March 15, and the astonishing Filipino romance Meet Me In St. Gallen, an intriguing title that will bring the festival to an end on March 23.
International Competition
Each year, the International Competition gives the public the opportunity to discover the finest productions from Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Near and Middle East. Twelve feature films and fifteen short films will be screened in the presence of their directors in Swiss, European, International or World premieres. Many will tell the story of a youth in search of meaning and a better world.
Double Carte blanche for Korea: Elisa Shua Dusapin and Bong Joon-ho
Widely acclaimed by critics for her last novel Les Billes du Pachinko and winner of the 2019 Swiss Literature Award, Swiss writer Elisa Shua Dusapin will be overseeing the Diaspora section which focuses on the themes of exile and interculturality. Six films of her choice will lift the veil on her homeland, South Korea, and her understanding of this country. This immersive journey through East Asia will be enriched by the presence of Bong Joon-ho, master of modern South Korean cinema. The director of Memories of Murder, The Host, Snowpiercer and Okja will share with the FIFF’s audience masterpieces that marked him, and that he has never seen on the big screen before.
According to Thierry Jobin, FIFF Artistic Director, “Bong Joon-ho is certainly one of the ten or fifteen most talented filmmakers of the moment. The movies that influenced him the most, from Spielberg to Kurosawa, will undoubtedly enrich the audience as well. He does us a great honour by agreeing to take over the section Sur la carte de…”.
Decryption: a cinema that respects black women
What is the daily life of a woman of colour in the Western movie industry? Last May, the ground-breaking book Noire n’est pas mon métier (Black Is Not My Job) was published by Éditions du Seuil. Sixteen French Afro-descendant actresses co-wrote it in order to denounce the racist clichés and humiliations which they are victims of. For the FIFF, each one of them has chosen a film that shows respect for women, colour or women of colour. Fifteen African and international films in total will be screened in the presence of several of the actresses themselves, including the curator of the section Magaajyia Silberfeld.
“The fact that they all agreed to work on our idea,” says Thierry Jobin, “is a valuable mark of trust that encourages the Festival’s committed and passionate line.”
Exploring Caribbean cinema: Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Haiti
With the New Territory section, the FIFF continues to explore a cinema that emancipates itself from the Old Continent and grasps themes like the historical trauma of slavery or the building of the future. In full expansion, the film productions of the Greater Antilles will be a dynamic and fresh overview!
Rom-coms: a genre that leaves nobody indifferent
No film genre is as divisive as this one. A real phenomenon in China or Latin America, romantic comedies reveal the cultural specificities of the countries in which they are made. This March in Fribourg, twelve films from around the world will touch the heart of the Festival!
Special screenings: Midnight screenings, family screenings and Swiss film specials
Once again, the Midnight Screenings will delight spectators with thrills and excitement: horror, erotic and disturbing films for appropriate audiences! The line-up also includes special showings for families and children, as well as the Swiss Passport screenings dedicated to movies made in Switzerland or by Swiss directors in distant latitudes. This section also includes the best short films directed by students of Swiss film schools, and a special evening devoted to Fribourg’s own productions, which have demonstrated an impressive qualitative leap.
Partnerships
The FIFF's budget is practically identical to last year’s budget. Thanks to the support of our loyal and our new partners and sponsors, the share of private funding has increased. More and more companies are choosing the FIFF for their events, to welcome their customers or to thank their employees. The objective of a closer collaboration with local companies is becoming concrete. Our institutional partners have also renewed their confidence in the FIFF, which can now look to the future with confidence.
SAVE THE DATES
27th of February 2019, 10:15 am
Press conference: presentation of the official programme
Safe Gallery BCF, Fribourg
26th of February 2019, 8 pm
Film and concert night at Fri-Son in honour of Karen Dalton
A Bright Light – Karen And The Process, Emmanuelle Antille, 2018
15th to 23rd March 2019
The 33rd edition of the Fribourg International Film Festival
